How does Europe become Europe

How much do you know about Europe? Many immediately think of Britain, France and Germany, or even just them. But there are so many countries, peoples and religions in Europe that simple perceptions inevitably lead to one-sidedness and narrowness.

The formation of race and language in continental Europe alone was an extremely long and complex process.

Norman Davis explains it all in a History of Europe: "The wave of ethnic migration that burst upon Western Europe at the end of the fourth century WAS but one act in a much wider drama both geographically and chronologically. Under pressure from the Huns to move west, ostrogoths, Alans, Visigoths, and Vandals poured into the Roman Empire. In individual countries, it fundamentally changed the ethnic mix of populations that had existed for centuries and introduced entirely new ingredients in some areas. If in 400 the population of the continent was clearly divided into 'Romans' and' barbarians, 'by 600 or 700 the land was inhabited by a much more complex mix of semi-barbaric pre-Romans and semi-Roman pre-barbarians."

It was even just the beginning. Migration and integration were taking place in places like the Iberian Peninsula, Italy and Germany. By the 8th century, a lasting pattern of settlement had begun in continental Europe. But even so, Davis writes, "five more important national migrations will be needed to complete the basic demographic composition of Europe in the future." The five later migrations were "one of the sea-invaders vikings, two of the nomadic Magyars and Mongols, and two of the moors and Turks fighting for new religions".

It takes more than just sitting in his study to lay out this history. Norman Davis's Vision of Europe has as much to do with the structure of knowledge and education as it does with growing up and "travelling thousands of miles". Tony Judt, the author of my favourite Book, A History of Post-war Europe, dismissed it, but IT did not stop me from looking for incremental knowledge in Davis's book.

Noran Davis is a British historian, fellow of the British National Academy, Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, Emeritus Professor at University College London, Emeritus Professor at St Antony's College, Oxford University, and an expert on the history of Central and Eastern Europe. He is the author of 17 books, including A History of Europe, The Lost Kingdom, God's Playground: A History of Poland, and Under Another Sky.

In 1958, aged 19, Davies set off from his native Lancashire and drove across the continent to Islambur. In his youth, Davis studied in England, France, Italy, Poland and other European countries.

"History of Europe" is regarded as Davis's masterpiece, including "Classical Age (prehistory -- 337 AD)", "Age of Empires (about 330 -- 1493)" and "Transition Age (about 1450 -- 1914)" three volumes, can be regarded as a comprehensive history of Eastern and Western Europe, best-selling in the world for more than 20 years. The book, written in the 1990s, has been given a dot-era modality by Davis, with linked "Windows of knowledge" sprinkled throughout the text.